Municipal union workers protest in Stamford

Updated 8:16 am, Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Stamford Fire and Rescue Captain Pat Tripodi joins fellow union members as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut pensions for all new city employees in Stamford, Conn., April 4, 2011. less

Stamford Fire and Rescue Captain Pat Tripodi joins fellow union members as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut pensions for all new ... more

UAE member and city employee Todd Johnson waves a protest flag as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut pensions for all new city employees in Stamford, Conn., April 4, 2011. less

UAE member and city employee Todd Johnson waves a protest flag as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut pensions for all new city ... more

Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley addresses the crowd as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut pensions for all new city employees in Stamford, Conn., April 4, 2011. less

Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley addresses the crowd as United Electric workers, local 222 hold a rally in front of the Government Center to protest a proposal to cut ... more

STAMFORD -- Sensing tough battles ahead with the Pavia administration, city union workers rallied in front of the Stamford Government Center on Monday afternoon to protest attempts to scale back their benefits and pensions.

"They are playing games, just like they are in Wisconsin and Ohio," said Victor Rella, a fire captain in Springdale, referring to efforts in those states to eliminate unions' collective bargaining rights.

He later added: "This is by far going to be the toughest fight we've had."

Roughly 100 employees, including many city firefighters, stood on the Government Center plaza, many holding signs and American flags. The event was organized as part of a nationwide labor rally to commemorate civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated on Apr. 4, 1968, during a visit to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers.

"The city is taking advantage of a national right wing resurgence," said Peter Knowlton, president of the Northeast Region of UE Local 222, representing 120 employees in Stamford's various public works departments. He said the city had recently declared an impasse in negotiations with their members and has requested the contract be settled through arbitration. The key issues, he said, were concessions related to retirement and employee health insurance contributions.

Most city unions, including those representing police and firefighters, have yet to begin bargaining with the city. But union members are using prior negotiations and rhetoric from City Hall as signs the administration will take a tough stance this year. In December, Fred Flynn, the city's director of administration, blamed the city's rising structural costs on "onerous rich union agreements that need to be re-examined."

The mayor is asking the Board of Representatives to revise its funding plan for retiree benefits. Stamford, unlike some cities, has traditionally elected to pay aggressively into such funds. The plan now in place requires the city to achieve a 75 percent funding level in 2012, which comes out to a payment of $9.8 million, according to the administration. The proposed plan would spread out the funding across a longer period and scale back the funding level to 55 percent or $7.2 million in 2012.

While the administration has argued the change would minimize tax increases during a difficult economy, union members bristled at the strategy as coming at the expense of public sector workers that have served in the city and are often residents as well.

"We're in your neighborhood, we coach your kids in Little League, we inspect your restaurants," said Paul Yakos, a local union steward for UAW Local 2377, a group that includes office support staff, 911 dispatchers, health inspectors and maintenance workers. "It's essentially not fair to say we want to do away with your benefits."

City union members have also balked at the city's proposal to give new hires 401(k) plans, commonly used in the private sector, saying it would put them at "the mercy of the stock market."

At least four unions attended the protest, with city administrative workers joining the fray as they trickled out of the Government Center. Not in attendance were members of Stamford's Police Department, which union leaders said was scheduled to hold its quarterly meeting.

Monday's rally, which lasted about an hour, featured speeches from union and church leaders who portrayed workers as scapegoats in a raging national debate about the cost of public sector benefits.

Carrying signs that read, "Stop the war on the working class," "No to risky investments" and "Unions built this country," city union members seemed intent on sending a message to Pavia, who did not return a request for comment prior to the event.

Firefighter Allan Hagander brought his two children. "It's important for the mayor and Government Center to see what they are taking," he said.

At one point, Brendan Keatley, president of the union representing firefighters, addressed Pavia directly to the cheers of the audience.

"Look out the window, Mr. Mayor," he cried. "We're not faceless workers. We're the fabric of this community."

Staff Writer Elizabeth Kim can be reached at elizabeth.kim@scni.com or 203-964-2265.